Q: What is the ruling on smoking and eating hyenas ?

A: Smoking is Haram (prohibited), as it is a harmful activity deemed as bad and filthy by people with good souls and sound minds. Allah (Exalted be He) says (what means): Those who follow the Messenger, the Prophet who can neither read nor write (i.e. Muhammad صلى الله عليه وسلم) whom they find written with them in the Taurât (Torah) (Deut, xviii 15) and the Injeel (Gospel) (John xiv, 16), - he commands them for Al-Ma‘rûf (i.e. Islâmic Monotheism and all that Islâm has ordained); and forbids them from Al-Munkar (i.e. disbelief, polytheism of all kinds, and all that Islâm has forbidden); he allows them as lawful At-Tayyibât (i.e. all good and lawful as regards things, deeds, beliefs, persons, foods), and prohibits them as unlawful Al-Khabâ’ith (i.e. all evil and unlawful as regards things, deeds, beliefs, persons and foods.) Allah (Exalted be He) also says: They ask you (O Muhammad صلى الله عليه وسلم) what is lawful for them (as food). Say: "Lawful unto you are At-Tayyibât [all kind of Halâl (lawful-good) foods which Allâh has made lawful (meat of slaughtered eatable animals, milk products, fats, vegetables and fruits)]. Also, smoking causes languor and stupefaction: The Prophet (peace be upon him) forbade, as related by Ahmad and Abu Dawud from Um Salamah, every intoxicant and stupefier. Its harm to health has been medically proven, and it is known that what is proven to be harmful is unlawful to use. (Part No. 22; Page No. 308) Also, buying tobacco products is a waste of money. The Prophet (peace be upon him) forbade wasting money. It was related by Al-Bukhari and Muslim (may Allah be merciful to them) that the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) said, “Allah has forbidden you to be undutiful to your mothers, to bury your daughters alive, and to withhold (what you should give) or demand (what you do not have a right to). And He dislikes for you gossip, asking too many questions, and wasting money.” The 'dislike' mentioned in this Hadith indicates prohibition.As for eating hyena meat, this is Halal (lawful), because it was related by Imam Ahmad and the Compilers of the Sunan (Imams Abu Dawud, Al-Tirmidhy, Al-Nasa’y and Ibn Majah) on the authority of `Abdul-Rahman ibn `Abdullah ibn `Imarah, who said, I said to Jabir, "Is the hyena regarded as game?" He replied, "Yes." I said, "Can I eat it?" He replied, "Yes." I said to him, "Did the Messenger of Allah say so?" He replied, "Yes." May Allah grant us success. May peace and blessings be upon our Prophet Muhammad, his family, and Companions.